1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to a lubricant supply device and a process unit and an image forming apparatus including a lubricant supply device and further relates to a method of manufacturing a process unit including a lubricant supply device.
2. Description of the Background Art
In image forming apparatuses such as copiers, printers, facsimile machines, and multifunction machines (so-called multifunction peripherals or MFPs) having at least two of coping, printing, facsimile transmission, plotting, and scanning capabilities, typically a lubricant supply device is used to lubricate a photoreceptor, an intermediate transfer belt, or the like to facilitate cleaning thereof, enhance the transfer capabilities thereof, and extend the operational lives thereof.
For example, the lubricant supply device includes a lubricant supply member (i.e., lubricant application member), such as a brush roller, disposed between a lubrication target, such as the photoreceptor, and a solid lubricant and designed to scrape off lubricant and apply the lubricant to the surface of the photoreceptor. Such a configuration is proposed in JP-2007-293240-A. The solid lubricant is urged toward the brush roller by a pressing member such as a spring so that the solid lubricant is kept in contact with the brush roller constantly even when the lubricant is scraped and consumed.